A physical and verbal altercation took place at Credo Bank between several bank employees and a customer.

The incident occurred several days ago. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation under Article 126 of the Criminal Code, which concerns violence.

More specifically, according to the citizen, bank employees physically assaulted him in the manager’s office. According to information provided by the customer, he forgot to make a loan payment and initially spoke by phone with a Credo Bank credit officer about the matter. He says the bank employee spoke to him rudely, after which he went to the branch to clarify the situation. According to the customer, once he arrived at the bank, the credit officer verbally insulted him, to which he responded with profanity. The verbal confrontation then escalated into a physical altercation.

“I forgot to make a payment toward my installment plan, and a so-called credit officer, a man named Merab, contacted me. I explained to him that the problem was on the bank’s side and told him to look into the matter, and then I hung up because I was quite busy. A few seconds later, this person called me back and said, ‘Apparently our conversation was disconnected, there was a technical problem.’ I told him, ‘No, I hung up on you because I’m very busy.’ He told me, ‘If you’re not interested in your own matter, then why should I be interested in it at all?’ In addition to that, he was speaking to me in a mocking and dismissive manner,” the citizen said.

According to him, after the phone conversation, he went to the bank to express his dissatisfaction. The citizen said he explained to the manager that the bank employee had spoken to him rudely. According to the customer, while he was speaking with and explaining the situation to the manager, the credit officer in question entered the room and began speaking to him aggressively, addressing him with obscene language, to which he also responded with profanity.

“I could no longer tolerate it and swore at him. As soon as I swore at him, he was the first to come at me with his fists and hit me, while his colleague, who was standing beside me on my right, punched me and kicked me in the thigh. Then this one hit me. They knocked me to the ground and stood over me, kicking and beating me. During this process, one of the employees grabbed me by my clothes, tore my clothing, and dragged me in front of at least 50 customers as if I were some repeat offender and criminal. I was saying, ‘People, what are you doing? Are you beating me?’ And the other person who was hitting me was shouting, ‘You deserve to be beaten, and we beat you,’” the citizen said in a video statement distributed by TV Pirveli.

In addition, according to the citizen’s lawyer, his client forgot to make a payment to the bank, contacted the bank about it, and also agreed to pay the applicable penalty. According to the lawyer, despite this, the bank contacted the citizen a day later and told him that he still had an outstanding debt.

“The bank contacted him again the next day and told him that he still had an outstanding debt because the amount could not be deducted on the day he made the payment. He was also spoken to very rudely by the bank employee, according to him. To clarify the matter, he then went to the manager, and this incident took place in the manager’s office, where he was assaulted by a group of people,” the lawyer told TV Pirveli.

InterpressNews contacted Credo Bank regarding the matter. According to the bank’s official statement, its internal review of the incident has not yet been completed, and therefore it is premature for the bank to make assessments.

“Credo Bank is aware of the incident that occurred at a branch on August 26, 2026, between an employee and a customer. We take the matter with full responsibility, and a detailed review of the incident is currently underway. The relevant state agencies have also been informed. Since the review has not yet been completed, it is premature to make assessments. The safety and protection of the dignity of both customers and employees is the bank’s top priority. Once the factual circumstances have been established, the bank will make an appropriate decision in full compliance with the applicable procedures and legislation,” the Credo Bank statement reads.